Role of Mayor and Councillors

Role of the Mayor

The Mayor is empowered by Local Government Act 1993 (Section 226) to carry out civic and ceremonial functions of the Mayoral office, which include presiding at meetings of the Council.

The Mayor is elected by the majority of Councillors on an annual basis (usually September) at Strathfield Council. Council also elects a Deputy Mayor to act in the Mayor’s absence eg chairing meetings, attending ceremonies on behalf of Mayor.

Role of Councillors

The role of Councillors is contained in the NSW Local Government Act 1993 (Section 232). The role of the Councillor is, as a member of the governing body of the Council to:

direct and control the affairs of the Council in accordance with the Local Government Act

participate in the optimum allocation of the Council's resources for the benefit of the area

a key role in the creation and review of the Council's policies and objectives and criteria relating to the exercise of the Council's regulatory functions

review the performance of the Council and its delivery of services, and the management plans and revenue policies of the Council.

The role of a Councillor is, as an elected person to:

represent the interests of the residents and ratepayers

provide leadership and guidance to the community

facilitate communication between the community and the Council.

Conduct of Councillors

Council has developed a number of policies which set out standards and procedures governing Councillors performance and conduct including meeting conduct, access to facilities and expenses, access to information and interactions with Council staff. These policies are listed below: